


Meow Less, Purr More

by MizushimaHikari



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animals, Cats, Crushes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Established Relationship, Kindness, M/M, MIT, Nerdiness, Pets, Rejection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2016-09-16
Packaged: 2018-08-09 16:32:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7809082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizushimaHikari/pseuds/MizushimaHikari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaron is a proud, independent, stray cat who roams the streets of Cambridge. That is, until he meets a magnetic man he simply has to follow. What he doesn't know is that the man will lead him to a life and a world he has never fathomed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> “…cats are permitted on five halls…” – East Campus, MIT

Aaron Burr prowled along the streets of Cambridge, passing by the Boston Marriott Cambridge, his fluffy gray tail waving in the breeze like a glorious flag. He darted from nook to cranny to avoid humans. Much to his chagrin, with his lustrous gray coat and aristocratic posture, Aaron was a gorgeous stray cat. And although being a handsome cat certainly helped him charm humans out of their Chipotle leftovers, several tourists had already tried to abduct him from Boston. 

So here he was, hidden under a bush, staring at the masses of humans. He thought they were all silly, running back and forth, getting into whatever shenanigans humans got into. Didn’t they know that if they kept out of trouble, they doubled their choices? 

Suddenly, a breathtaking young man dashed right by Aaron. This man wore an emerald green jacket and had a ponytail that was begging to be played with. He wasn’t exactly handsome, but he was simply magnetic. Aaron had to follow him. 

Aaron sprinted in the direction the man went. He tried to trail him discreetly, but he was definitely getting some curious looks. To his luck, Aaron spotted the man waiting at a busy intersection. 

He crept up silently, hoping to pounce on the man’s ponytail, but the man noticed him. Aaron changed tactics and meowed as he approached him with as much dignity as he could muster. After he reached the man’s feet, Aaron sat down and meowed and unblinkingly stared at him. 

The man slowly smiled and crouched down. He pet Aaron’s head and murmured, “Pardon me. I’ve never seen you before.” 

Aaron purred at the man’s gentle touch. Then, all too soon, the man turned left and went on his way without looking back. 

Aaron chased after the man, this time on the sidewalk. He couldn’t care less whether or not the humans saw him. He tailed the man for a few blocks, but the man was fast, and he ran nonstop. Aaron was about to give up when he saw a speck of green scramble into a nondescript building. He sprinted towards the door, but it closed before he could sneak in. 

He clawed the door and mewled. 

A voice behind him cooed, “You poor thing. Did you get locked out of East Campus?” And before Aaron could react, soft hands lifted him up. He turned around and saw a friendly girl’s face. He mewed in affirmative to her question. 

“I’ll get you in,” she promised. She unlocked the door with her card key and took him in. “I’m gonna take you back to the third floor,” she chattered as she ascended the stairs. “I’ll figure out where you belong.” 

They reached the third floor, and she gently placed him on the floor. “Now, you behave and stay here,” she said. 

Despite having no intention of listening to anyone besides himself, Aaron meowed. 

“Good kitty,” she said as she reached down to pet him. She was pretty good at petting. She retreated to her room, leaving the door a crack open. Now that he was alone, Aaron glanced around in the hopes of finding that enchanting man. 

Tentatively, a fluffy white ragdoll cat with a golden collar crawled out of the girl’s room and recoiled a bit when she saw Aaron. She looked like an angel. 

“Excuse me, miss,” Aaron purred, “I know it’s not funny, but you look like a cutie, and you smell sweet as honey. Any chance you’re searchin’ for an urchin?”

“Who are you?! I’ve never seen you before,” she hissed. 

Aaron didn’t answer. 

She paced around him, scrutinizing his every feature. “Who’s your human?” 

“The man in the green coat,” Aaron glibly lied. 

An epiphany struck her, and she gasped and cried, “You’re not supposed to be here!” 

“Whatever do you mean?” Aaron inquired, hiding his nerves. He needed to stall, and maybe she’d give him information. 

“You’re not an East Campus cat! You don’t have a collar, and you don’t know your human’s name,” she replied. “Let’s try again, shall we? Who are you?” 

Aaron sighed. It was time to let the cat out of the bag. “You’re very clever. The name’s Aaron, Aaron Burr. I’m a street cat, and I followed a man in a green coat here. Who are you?” 

“How did you get in here?” she asked, pointedly ignoring his question.

“The girl who lives here brought me in,” Aaron answered truthfully. This cat might have seen her carry him in, and it would behoove him to get on her good side. 

“Eliza’s too trusting and kind,” the white cat muttered to herself. Resuming her questioning, she asked, “Why did you follow that man here?” 

“I…I wanted to see him, and I wanted him to be my human.” The words spilled out, surprising the white cat and himself. Even though Aaron didn’t want to reveal that to anyone, judging by the way his interrogator’s expression softened, it was exactly the right thing to say. 

After a long silence, she said, “I think I know this boy you’re talking about. I might be able to help you.” 

Internally, Aaron breathed a sigh of relief. He said, “Thank you for your kindness. By the way, who are you?”

She said, “My name is Angelica Schuyler. I go by Angel. My human, Eliza, is the girl who brought you in. Anyway, follow me.” 

Without further explanation, Angel strode over to the door opposite Eliza’s. She pounced up and turned the doorknob with her paws, pulling the door ever so slightly open. She nudged the door with her dainty pink nose until it was wide enough for a cat to slither in. She disappeared inside the room, and Aaron followed suit. 

Inside, Aaron was greeted by a mess – the desk was littered with papers, and the whiteboard was covered with icky-looking equations and complicated geometry diagrams. On the bed was a massive pile of clothes, including…

“Is this your man’s green coat?” Angel asked, pointing to the top of the pile with her bushy tail. 

“Yes, yes it is,” Aaron answered, holding in his anticipation. 

“I thought so,” said Angel. “Your mystery man is none other than Alexander Hamilton, a resident of East Campus.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron encounters his dream man for a second time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Within two weeks of bringing a cat on campus, the Owner must … submit the cat approval form…to the Pet Chair.” – MIT Undergraduate Housing Cat Policy

Aaron looked around the dorm room with newfound wonder. So this was the room where it happened. It was a little messy, sure, but nothing he couldn’t tolerate. He would absolutely live here if he could spend his days observing and admiring Alexander Hamilton. 

He leapt on the bed and scaled the mountain of clothing on it, eventually reaching the forest green coat that had captured his imagination. He nudged the fabric with his nose, savoring its velvety smoothness and its scent of paper and chalk. Aaron could easily envision himself perched on the apex of this clothing pile as Alex scribbled figures on his blackboard. 

“Aaron!” Angel called, interrupting his reverie. 

“Yes, Angel?” he said. 

“You can’t stay here until we make Alex your human! Besides, we have to go back! I hear Eliza calling for you!” she said. 

“For me?” Aaron asked. 

“She’s calling ‘Here, kitty,’ and I doubt that’s anyone else,” she explained. 

Reluctantly, Aaron jumped from the bed to the desk, swept a pen off said desk with his tail, and finally returned to Angel. Together, they left the room. 

“Eliza is this hall’s Pet Chair, so she’s in charge of keeping track of the cats. Naturally, she knows all the cats by name. If you want to stay here, you’ll have to stay on her good side,” Angel mentioned as they walked towards the common area. 

When they reached the common area, a comfy alcove with bean bag chairs and sofas, a piano and a television, the two cats found Eliza crawling around the sofa, peeking underneath and calling, “Here, kitty!” 

Angel meowed authoritatively. 

Eliza looked up. “There you are! You’ve met Angel!” she exclaimed. She went to them and scratched behind their ears. Aaron involuntarily purred – no one had ever pet him the way Alex had, but Eliza was a close second. 

Aaron felt eyes on him. He rotated his head just in time to see two cats dash under a sofa. Before he could investigate, though, Eliza picked up both cats and headed back to her room. She dropped them on her bed, then took out her phone and began making phone calls. 

“What’s going on?” Aaron asked. 

“Eliza’s calling the other Pet Chairs to see if you’re someone’s missing cat,” said Angel. “You’re a rather distinctive cat. I doubt you’ll be mistaken for another one. We need to figure out what to do when she finds out you’re a stray.” 

“Why are you even helping me? You’ve been awfully helpful to a tomcat you just met,” he inquired. 

Angel’s spine stiffened slightly at the word “tomcat,” but she eloquently said, “I’m a kindhearted soul, and it makes me happy to help two beings connect.” 

Something seemed to be missing from her answer. Aaron made a mental note to press Angel about it later. “What can I do once she finds out I’m not supposed to be here?” he asked. 

“You want Alex to be your human, so your best bet is to endear yourself to him and convince him to adopt you,” she said. 

“Any suggestions for making that happen?”

“You’ll have to charm him yourself, I’m afraid. That being said, the sooner you find him, the more opportunity you’ll have to win him over,” she said. 

“Where is he then?” 

Angel spoke more slowly, thinking out loud. “Well, his coat and backpack were inside his dorm, and it’s around the time I have dinner, so I would guess he is in the kitchen, cooking his own food.” 

Just then, Eliza finished making her phone calls. “Huh, you really aren’t an East Campus cat. Are you someone’s lost cat? You’re so adorable; I’d hate to give you away,” she told Aaron. 

Angel shot Aaron an incomprehensible look before walking to her empty food bowl and meowing mournfully. 

“Oh dear, I need to feed you! Sorry, Angel. I’ll feed you too, little one. It won’t hurt if I keep you here tonight,” Eliza said. She left the room, leaving the door ajar. 

Now Aaron understood. He took the opportunity Angel created to sneak out and go to Alex’s room. The door was still open, and the room was still empty. Unperturbed, Aaron parked himself right in front of the door, sitting as majestically as a king upon his throne. 

Footsteps paced towards him, vibrating the ground. Aaron saw Alex approach his room, a plate in hand. He smelled so enticing, like paper and chalk and … chicken?

Alex reached his doorway and stared at the gray cat in mild surprise. “You followed me home,” he murmured. He bent down and with his free hand, stroked Aaron’s downy fur from head to tail. It was heavenly. 

To Aaron’s dismay, Alex stopped petting him. Then, to his delight, he offered him a chunk of chicken in the palm of his hand. Aaron nibbled at the treat. It was well-seasoned and pleasantly spicy. Before he knew it, he devoured all of it. Alex chuckled and gave him another piece. 

“Alex! I see you’ve met Angel’s newest friend!” Eliza remarked brightly. She was holding two cans of Fancy Feast and another food bowl. 

“Hi, Eliza. I met this guy when I was walking back. He’s a stray. He must have followed me here.” Alex stood up, and Aaron decided to weave himself between Alex’s legs, to mark him as his human and no one else’s. 

“He obviously likes you a lot,” she said with a smile. 

“He does.” 

“Are you sure he’s a stray?” 

“Pretty sure.” 

Mischief danced across Eliza’s face. “I was thinking…” she began.

“What?” Alex asked bluntly. 

“This stray cat’s wonderful. He’s dignified, well-behaved, and quiet. He gets along with Angel. I’m already quite fond of him, and you seem to like him too…”

“So what?” 

“What if you adopted him?” Eliza proposed. 

Aaron stopped rubbing himself on Alex. Was Eliza singlehandedly making his dream having this man as his human come true? It would be everything he hoped for and more: glorious petting sessions, delicious dinners together, and nights falling asleep in his arms. 

“I don’t want a cat,” Alex said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fret not! Aaron might not have a chance now, but we'll see! 
> 
> Also, I can't believe MIT has an undergraduate housing cat policy. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it! I'd love to hear what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Aaron learns why Alex doesn't want a cat and meets the other residents of East Campus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Owner shall have the cat wear an identifying collar tag at all times carrying the pet’s name and the Owner’s MIT email address.” – MIT Undergraduate Housing Cat Policy

Aaron froze in his tracks as hope seeped out of his heart. How could Alex not want him? 

“Why don’t you want him?” Eliza said, echoing Aaron’s thoughts. “He’s such a sweet cat.” 

He said, “Nothing against him. I just think anything pet-related just won’t be good. Tomcat and Jem hate me.” 

“But Angel likes you! And so does this cat!” she protested. 

“I don’t want a cat!” he repeated more forcefully. “John’s already grumpy about me living in a cat hall.” 

Eliza backed off. “Very well. I think this little one would be a great addition to our hallway. I’ll check around to see if anyone else wants to adopt him.” 

She turned to Aaron and said, “I’m gonna feed you dinner. We can’t have you eating all of Alex’s food.” 

Aaron looked longingly at Alex, hoping that his adorable face would thaw Alex’s cold heart. Alex stared back with an expression of curiosity and pity. 

“Come here,” insisted Eliza. 

Aaron trudged towards her and followed her back to her room, his tail dragging on the floor. He glanced back and saw that Alex was still watching him. 

After they got back and Eliza began to open the cans of Fancy Feast, Aaron approached Angel and stared at her, unsure of how to break the silence. Luckily, she broke it first. 

She said, “I heard everything through the door. I know it didn’t sound good, but I think you still have a chance. Eliza’s on your side.” 

“Okay,” Aaron answered as vaguely as possible. 

“I can tell you more after dinner,” Angel said. 

At that moment, Eliza presented each cat a bowl of wet cat food. Aaron sniffed his food. Was this salmon? On the streets, he rarely found humans willing to part from their seafood leftovers. Angel was already happily chomping away at her food. Hesitantly, he took a bite and contemplated the flavor. It wasn’t even close to Alex’s chicken, but it wasn’t bad. He methodically consumed all of it, even licking the rim of the bowl when he was done. 

Pleasantly full and drowsy, Aaron lay down on the carpet, ready to take a nap. Even he, an independent, self-interested street cat, had to admit that having a human to provide food and shelter was pretty swell. He was just about to fall asleep when Angel prodded him awake. 

“Hey, you wanted me to tell you more. Let’s do that in the common room.” 

The two cats left Eliza’s room and strolled down the hall. As they walked, Angel chattered away. “I’m sure Eliza’s thrilled that you like him. She’s persistent – she’ll persuade him to adopt you. Alex actually likes cats a lot. He just hasn’t had the best luck with the cats here, other than me, of course.” 

“Who are the other cats?” Aaron asked as they arrived at the common area. 

“There are two other cats here,” Angel began explaining, but at that instant, Aaron noticed a speck of cat food near her nose, a smidgen of pink amidst her white fur. He instinctively poked his whiskers towards her and licked the salmon off. 

“Who are you, and just WHAT do you think you’re doing?” a voice accused. 

Aaron found himself on the receiving end of two strange cats’ death stares. One cat, a ginger cat with a white belly and a sky blue collar, was standing on all four paws with his back arched and his tail stiffly pointing at the ceiling. The other cat, a tuxedo cat with an understated black collar, calmly sat on a sofa, his tail curled along the outline of his frame. 

Aaron pulled away from Angel, and the ginger cat relaxed slightly. Still, he hissed, “Answer me. Who are you?!” 

“Back off and let them explain,” the tuxedo cat admonished his friend. 

Slightly louder than normal, Angel said, “Tomcat! Jem! I was just talking about you two. This is Aaron. He’s the newest addition to floorpi!” 

“Floorpi?” Aaron asked, perplexed. 

“‘Floorpi’ is a nickname the humans have for the third floor of East Campus,” the tuxedo cat answered. 

Unfazed by the interruption, Angel continued her introductions. “Aaron, this is Thomas, and he goes by Tom or Tomcat,” she said as she gestured towards the ginger cat. She then pointed at the tuxedo cat and said, “This is James, and he goes by Jem.” 

“Why doesn’t Aaron have a collar?” Tomcat hissed. 

“I’m a soon-to-be resident of East Campus,” he replied coolly. “Eliza is planning to find me an owner.” 

“I see. I suppose that would explain why you don’t have a nickname as well,” Jem mused. 

“Yes,” Aaron said. 

“It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Aaron. Tomcat and I, however, will take our leave now. See you around,” Jem bantered. “Tomcat, don’t threaten our newest housemate,” he ordered more harshly. He elegantly departed the couch and towards the hallway. 

Tomcat followed his friend, making sure to rub up against Angel and to shoot Aaron an envious look. He left the common area, taking the room’s tension with him. 

Once they were out of earshot, Angel murmured, “I’m so sorry about how Tomcat was to you. He’s an intense character, but he’s really great and really sweet once you get to know him.” 

Aaron exhaled a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. “Angel,” he said, “I believe you have much more to tell me about them. They seem rather … protective of you, especially Tomcat.” 

“Oh, I guess Tomcat and Jem see me as their little sister,” she said with feigned flippancy. 

“Why does Alex not like them?” he asked, choosing to ignore his sense that Angel was hiding something. 

“Alex wants to like them, but they’ve each scratched him like five or six times. If anything, they don’t like him. Tomcat and Jem are always complaining that he’s keeping them up. Alex tends to stay up late and yell a lot when he’s working on problem sets. Tomcat also doesn’t like how he manhandles me.” 

At that moment, Aaron tried to stifle a yawn and failed. “Let’s go back to Eliza’s room. We can talk more tomorrow.” 

Angel agreed, and they ambled back. When they got to her room, Eliza was waiting for them. “I’ve been looking for you!” she told Aaron. Eliza picked up Aaron and carried him back out of the room, Angel watching in amusement before retreating inside the room. 

Eliza crossed the hallway to Alex’s room and popped in. “Hi, Alex!” she greeted. 

“Hey! What brings you here?” 

Eliza held Aaron towards Alex. Aaron drank in Alex’s very presence. “Since this handsome guy’s going to live here, he’s going to need a name. Any ideas?”

With a furrowed brow, Alex studied the cat. He stroked Aaron’s head, observing his rich, warm purr. Finally, he told Eliza, “Let’s name him Orion.” 

“I like that!” Eliza squealed. She retrieved a silvery collar from her pocket and wrote the name on the tag. Aaron noticed that the space for the owner’s contact information was conspicuously blank. She put the collar on him, and then smiled at her work. 

“Nice to meet you, Orion,” Alex said as he shook Aaron’s right paw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like my cat nicknames! I just couldn't imagine anyone naming a cat Aaron... ._.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron encounters a part of Alex that is a host unto itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.” – Hippolyte Taine

Aaron woke up to a cacophony of falling books and the wails of …Alex? It sounded like it was coming from the common room. What was Alex doing? It’s the middle of the night! Aaron wearily got up from the makeshift cat bed Eliza made for him and snuck out to investigate, making sure not to wake Angel. 

When he got to the common room, he was greeted by a screaming Alex. He was flinging papers every which way and throwing heavy textbooks at the common room whiteboard, all while yelling, “Why won’t you work?!” Underneath the terror and destruction Alex was creating, he heard faint mews from under the sofa. 

Aaron chirruped assertively, drawing Alex’s attention. 

“Orion?” said Alex. 

Aaron strutted up to him and playfully rolled around near his feet in the hopes of distracting the frenzied man. Alex ignored the cat and resumed glaring at his work on the board. 

Like every self-respecting cat, Aaron prided himself on his expertise at manipulating people. This, this negligence was simply unacceptable. He would win his attention through force. Aaron unsheathed his claws, ready to strike Alex’s pale, fleshy leg, when he remembered that he was in the process of claiming him as his human. Alex would never warm to a vicious, feral cat. 

No, Aaron would have to try something else. He retracted his claws, jumped on the couch, and sat, cat-loaf style, in deep consideration. Alex was usually so attentive to him, even stopping on the street to pet him. Clearly something was troubling the man; not even the most adorable maneuver Aaron could execute would sway Alex’s train of thought. 

That moment, Alex picked up a thousand-page economics textbook and flung it across the room. Aaron yowled and hid under the sofa, where he found Tomcat and Jem huddled together. Tomcat was quivering and covering his head with his paws. Jem was hugging Tomcat and fighting to appear composed, but Aaron could tell Jem, too, was trembling. 

“What’s going on?” Aaron asked. 

Tomcat was mewling like a frightened kitten, so Jem explained, “Alex has an economics problem set due every Friday that he procrastinates. He gets like this every Thursday when he realizes the P-set is much harder than he realized.” 

“Alex is out of control,” Aaron remarked. 

“He’s a force unto himself. It’s never gotten this bad,” Jem admitted. 

Aaron inhaled deeply. Okay, so the human he wanted had issues. Of course he did. All humans were imperfect when compared to cats. He would have to accept Alex’s P-sets along his soft caresses and animal magnetism. He only deserved Alex if he braved Alex’s obstacles with him. 

Aaron left the safety of the sofa and went into the open. It was the eye of the hurricane – Alex was silently giving the whiteboard the evil eye. Aaron perched himself on top of a math textbook on top of a coffee table and looked at the board as well. 

On the board were lines and lines of math equations. After dismissing the niggling suspicion that MIT’s economics classes were just math classes in disguise, Aaron focused on the equations themselves. The content was fascinating – Alex was undoubtedly a genius. But wait…that minus sign in the second line was supposed to be a plus sign. Aaron reflexively hissed at the error. 

“What is it, Orion?” Alex asked, looking in same direction. He scrutinized the line Aaron had zeroed in on, his eyes narrowing. 

Out of the blue, Alex mumbled, “Oh shit, the sign’s wrong.” He changed all the incorrect signs and started hooting with glee. He then began to copy down his work onto paper quietly. Calm fell over the formerly hectic room. 

Aaron yawned. Now it was peaceful, maybe he could finally get his beauty sleep. He curled up on the warmest surface in the room, Alex’s laptop, and fell asleep. 

Aaron woke up, only to find he was no longer in the common room. No, he was in Alex’s room, nestled on top of the mountain of clothes on the bed. Alex must have moved him here. The emerald green coat was missing, as was Alex. However, a pair of eyes was staring at him. 

“Jem!” Aaron exclaimed. 

“Good afternoon,” Jem responded. “I see you have a collar as well as a nickname, Orion.” 

“That’s what Eliza and Alex have been calling me, yes,” Aaron said, choosing his words so as to reveal as little information as possible. 

“I see you still don’t have a human. Do you have any clue who will adopt you?” Jem continued. 

“No, I don’t,” Aaron dissembled. 

“I see,” Jem said, his eyes piercing Aaron’s soul. “Anyway, I’m here to thank you for handling Alex last night. Tomcat and I both appreciate it. We hope to have a better relationship with you as our new housemate in the future. Apologies that Tomcat isn’t here to speak to you in cat.” Aaron couldn’t help but notice his snide tone whenever mentioning Tomcat. 

Aaron, for once, ignored his heuristic of saying as little as possible. “I don’t see why Tomcat dislikes me so much. I haven’t done anything to offend him, and other than friendship, I have no intentions towards Angel.” 

Jem looked surprised. For some reason, this frustrated Aaron. “Why doesn’t Tomcat go get her? What’s he waiting for?” 

After a brief silence, Jem said, “I wish you best of luck in getting adopted by Alex. You’re already talking like him.” And with that, Jem departed the room. 

Aaron debated whether to leave the room. He thought about seeing Angel, who was probably sick with worry over his disappearance from Eliza’s room. But the bed of clothing was soft and warm, and he was a tired cat who needed fifteen hours of sleep a day. He reasoned that Jem and Tomcat would likely interact with her and let her know his whereabouts. So he promptly fell asleep again, dreaming of cuddling with Alex. 

His dreams were rudely interrupted by the noise of a door slamming into the wall. Aaron startled awake as he saw Alex enter the room along with another man. This stranger, a pale man wearing an obnoxious crimson sweater with a large, white “H” stitched on the front, sneered when he saw Aaron sitting on the bed. 

“Alex! What is that thing?!” he cried.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron encounters his nemesis and learns to love East Campus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Cats, as you know, are quite impervious to threats.” – Connie Willis

Aaron growled at the stranger. How dare this insolent boy speak of him as if he were nothing but a first-floor East Campus cockroach?! 

Alex recoiled from the man and whispered, “John, I’ve been meaning to tell you … Eliza introduced a new cat to Floorpi.” 

“Why do you keep calling this hallway ‘floorpi?!’” John shrieked. 

“Because the floor of pi is three,” Alex mumbled almost incoherently. 

“Why do you have to be such a nerd?” John jabbed. “You’ll never amount to anything if you keep talking like that.” 

Alex was almost on the verge of tears. 

“More importantly, why is this filthy animal in your room?” John continued, oblivious to the world of hurt he had just inflicted on Alex. 

Stone-faced, Alex replied, “I don’t know. It must have gotten in when I was away. I’ll get rid of it, and then we can go to your dorm and forget this ever happened.” And before Aaron could stake his claim and defend his right to occupy Alex’s bed, Alex snatched him up by the belly and unceremoniously shoved him out of the doorway. 

Aaron peered around the hallway. There were a few humans around, but absolutely no cats. He went to Eliza’s room, where he found Eliza crouched, with her ear pressed against the door, and Angel huddled in the blankets of the bed. Angel perked up when she saw the gray cat. 

“Did John leave yet?” Angel mewed. 

“He’s still in Alex’s room,” he said. 

Angel buried herself deeper in the bed sheets. “Mew, he’s mean,” she whimpered. 

Outside, Aaron heard John declare, “You should not have taken advantage of my sensibility to steal into my affections without my consent. But as you have done it and we are generally indulgent to those we love, I shall not scruple to pardon the fraud you have committed.” He spoke in a rehearsed manner, as if he were a king delivering an address rather than a college student speaking to a peer. Besides, who talked like that? 

He overheard some moist kissing sounds and suddenly felt like throwing up. He heaved and wheezed until he coughed out a hairball. When he resumed listening, he heard Then, more softly, Aaron heard Alex clumsily say, “In drawing my picture, mind you do justice to the length of my nose, and don’t forget that I…” His voice tapered off. They must have left. 

Eliza stood up and left the room. Angel hesitated a moment, debating whether to follow her, but then Eliza returned along with two other girls, one holding Tomcat, and the other holding Jem. The trio of girls sat on the bed and let their cats roam around the room. Tomcat sprinted over to Angel. Aaron and Jem stayed where they were. 

After an uncomfortable silence, Eliza spoke. “I’m worried about Alex. I don’t think John is any good for him. Sally, Dolley, you both heard them arguing just now.” 

Sally said, “Honestly, John’s no good for anyone. He’s downright cruel. I’m still reeling from that time he stepped on Angel’s tail on purpose.” At these words, Angel shuddered, and Tomcat gave her a reassuring side hug. 

“I agree with you two, but how are we supposed to help Alex? We’ve already tried telling him that his boyfriend and his relationship is toxic, but he keeps saying that we just don’t know John well enough,” Dolley mentioned. 

“We’re his friends! We have to try again!” Sally snapped. 

“Let’s approach him once he gets back tomorrow,” Eliza proclaimed. 

“Maybe we should wait a few hours. He’s not quite himself after spending time with John,” Dolley pointed out. 

“You’re right. If he gets back by Sunday noon, let’s have dinner with him Sunday night.” Eliza asserted. 

The girls stared at the walls as if the walls would reveal the way to reach Alex’s rational side. Jem crawled over to Dolley and opened his mouth to chirrup, but before he could, his stomach grumbled. 

She exclaimed, “Oh dear, I need to feed Jem. Oh! I signed up to make snacks for Floorpi’s movie night tonight. I have to leave.” 

“We can help,” offered Sally. 

Eliza smiled and nodded. “I need to feed Angel and Orion too.” 

So the girls picked up their respective cats and headed towards Floorpi’s kitchens. There, Eliza and Sally fed the cats Fancy Feast and morsels of meat while Dolley prepared three different types of popcorn. 

Soon, they heard other residents of Floorpi and even some stragglers from other floors gather in the common room. The girls left the kitchen, bringing their snacks with them. The cats stayed to finish eating. That is, until they heard the beginning of a movie. 

“What are we missing?” Tomcat asked, his ears twitching. “Let’s go check it out!” 

“Okay!” Angel agreed. The two immediately left for the movie. 

“I guess we should go after them,” Aaron mumbled while gnawing on a strip of bacon. 

“Yes, let’s,” Jem concurred. 

In the common room was a throng of humans occupying every sofa, consuming popcorn, and watching The Princess Bride. Luckily for Aaron and Jem, Tomcat had taken a rather large bean bag chair for himself and Angel. The two were happily cuddled up against one another and enjoying the movie. Aaron and Jem sat on the bean bag chair, taking care not to interrupt the ongoing snuggle session. 

As the movie played, one housemate asked, “Is there a new cat?” 

Eliza said, “Yep! The gray one’s name is Orion, and he’s a stray. I’m hoping to find him an owner.” 

“I’d like to adopt him,” said a shy girl. 

“Theo, I’m sure you’d be great pet owner, but while Orion’s officially a stray, he’s unofficially Alex’s cat. You could say they’ve claimed each other. You could even say they’re destined for one another.” 

Aaron’s heart skipped a beat at her words. 

“I understand. If Alex doesn’t adopt him, though, I’ll take him. He looks like such a lovely gentleman cat,” the girl whispered. 

Eliza said nothing more, and the group resumed watching the movie. Aaron tried to focus, but his mind kept repeating the words “if Alex doesn’t adopt him.” 

When the movie was over, Aaron was absolutely distraught. Even when Jem pointed out to him that Tomcat and Angel were nuzzling each other, he didn’t feel warm and fuzzy inside. In a daze, Aaron wandered down the hall alone, towards Eliza’s room, considering the dreaded idea. So if Alex didn’t adopt him, this Theo girl would, and Aaron would officially be an East Campus cat. Theo seemed nice. That being said, living at East Campus without having Alex as his human was perverse. In his heart of hearts, he knew he would rather return to the streets of Boston than endure the pain of having Alex so close, yet so far. 

Instead of going to Eliza’s room, Aaron went to Alex’s and snuggled up in his green coat. He didn’t care if John found him in the room again. He just wanted to surround himself with Alex. Aaron fell asleep on the coat, savoring the scent of paper and chalk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a slow chapter. I'm almost done with the story! 
> 
> As for the floor of pi... there's something called a floor function that pretty much gives you the largest whole number no larger than some given number. Since the largest whole number less than pi is 3, the floor of pi is 3. Keep in mind, they live on the 3rd floor! /end nerdiness
> 
> http://thirdwest.scripts.mit.edu/~thirdwest/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex's world isn't wide enough for both John and Aaron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “People that hate cats will come back as mice in their next life.” – Faith Resnick

Aaron woke up to the sound of voices in the hallway. 

“You’re back!” Eliza exclaimed. 

“I am? Oh, I am,” said a voice that was unmistakably Alex’s. 

“Are you okay?” Eliza asked. 

“I’m fine,” Alex said unconvincingly. 

“Sally and Dolley were wondering if you’d like to have dinner with us tonight,” Eliza mentioned, perhaps in a tone that was too forcedly casual. 

“I can’t,” Alex said hollowly. “John wants to have dinner with me here tonight.” 

The door creaked open, followed by a groggy Alex, who was wearing the same exact clothes he was yesterday. He stumbled into the room and sat on the bed, catatonic, then stared off into the distance, his eyes blank and his mouth slightly agape. This man was merely a shell of his normally magnetic, electric self. This man was a zombie. 

Aaron poked his head out of the coat and mewed timidly. 

“Orion?” Alex said. 

The cat approached Alex, meowing every fourth step he took, until he was standing by his feet. One swift leap later, Aaron was sitting on the bed. The cat and the man gazed at each other until Alex looked away and slumped forward in defeat. 

Well, this wasn’t good. Aaron burrowed into Alex’s lap in an attempt to prop him up, but Alex’s torso was heavy. He ended up engulfed by the man’s chest and arms. It was so warm and soft! Alex shifted onto his side and spooned the cat. At that point Aaron concluded that Alex gave the best hugs, no contest. Aaron lay there, savoring the rising and falling of Alex’s chest. He couldn’t believe it – here he was, cuddling with his dream human. 

Eventually, Alex’s breathing slowed. He must have fallen asleep. Aaron purred contently before returning to his own dreamland. 

Man and cat slept into the late afternoon, until Eliza shook Alex awake. “C’mon, you have to get up. John’s going to be here soon.” 

Alex blinked in confusion, a peaceful smile on his face, then he realized that he had been holding a cat in his sleep and was now speckled with gray cat fur. “Oh, shit! I have to change. He handed Aaron, who was now awake and grumpy, to Eliza and dashed towards the showers with showering supplies in hand. 

Eliza scratched Aaron’s ear and whispered, “I’m going to hide you from John so he doesn’t throw a tantrum.” She took him back to her room, where Angel, Tomcat, and Jem were on the bed, each one curled into a tight, tense cat-loaf. 

“Aaron! Where were you?” Angel asked. 

“I was in Alex’s room,” he said. 

“That’s dangerous! John’s coming today! You’re lucky Eliza found you beforehand,” Angel warned. 

“What exactly has John done?” Aaron asked. 

“Other than constantly making derogatory statements about us cats? He’s kicked me and Jem out of the way multiple times, and he’s stepped on Angel’s tail. It’s hell whenever he has a fit of passion,” Tomcat growled. 

Meanwhile, Eliza left the room to have dinner with her girlfriends. The cats sat on the bed, miserable about hiding in their own home. 

“Why do we let John keep shitting on us endlessly?” Aaron hissed. “Why do we have to feel unsafe where we live? He’s intruding on our turf.” 

“You’re right. We have to rise up!” Tomcat proclaimed. 

“How?” Jem pondered. 

Aaron paused and then said, “We strike tonight, remain relentless until he takes flight.” 

Tomcat caught on and added, “Make it impossible to justify Alex’s price.” 

Angel sighed in frustration. “I get what you guys are saying, but how exactly are we going to get rid of John?” 

Aaron shut his eyes, deep in thought. He then said, “I have a plan.” 

After telling the others his idea, Angel instantly objected to it. “I won’t have you going through with this nightmare plan. It’s too dangerous.” 

“John is a dangerous man. Any plan we develop will inherently be perilous.” Aaron admitted. “That being said, I’ll bleed and fight for Floorpi and for Alex.” 

“You really are an East Campus cat,” Tomcat acknowledged. 

The cats crept towards the common room, where Alex and John were having salmon. John was waving his fork at Alex and lecturing him on the way he was holding his utensils, and Alex nodded meekly. Eliza, Sally, and Dolley were sitting nearby and whispering to each other as if they were sharing gossip rather than eavesdropping on their friend’s meal with his partner. 

Aaron gulped, and then walked towards John as innocently as he could. He meowed every few steps he took, ensuring that he captured the room’s attention. Aaron glanced at Alex and Eliza, both of whom were horrified that a cat was in John’s presence. He didn’t dare to peek at John’s expression; he was certain that he would lose his nerve if he looked. Controlling his breathing and his heart rate, Aaron reached John and began circling his feet. 

John shuddered and kicked Aaron away rather forcefully. The cat cringed – John had struck him squarely in the stomach, and it hurt to stand up. Aaron wanted to curl up, fetal position, and mewl until the pain dissipated, but he couldn’t. Instead, he followed his plan and went up to John again, bracing himself for more violence. 

John delivered; he punted Aaron even harder, this time hitting his upper belly and his front paw. The cat cried out involuntarily from the agony. He wanted nothing more than to hobble away. He looked at Eliza, who was shooting daggers with her eyes at John. Immediately afterwards, he looked at Alex’s face, which was pinched and pallid, his eyes bugging out in shock. Aaron grumbled to himself that his plan was working. He would have to keep at it for Alex’s sake and for the other cats. 

Slowly and painfully, Aaron again made his way to John, limping whenever he used his injured paw. This time, when he got to the man’s feet, strong and cruel fingers grabbed his body and neck and lifted him up. Aaron found himself staring John straight in the face. And John was clearly seeing red. 

“Why do you keep coming back to me, vile scum?!” John roared. “You’re an abomination!” With each word he expelled, he gripped Aaron’s neck tighter and tighter. Soon, Aaron could no longer breathe. He choked and gagged, begging and hoping for the man to release him just so he could breathe. But just as a flurry of voices erupted, Aaron passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter is coming up! Stay tuned!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron comes home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.” – Jean Cocteau

Aaron came to in Alex’s room, surrounded by Alex, Eliza, and all the cats. His entire body was throbbing in pain, especially his neck. He grimaced and mewed pitifully. 

“He’s awake!” Alex squealed. 

“Quiet down. Orion’s been through a lot, and he’ll need time to recover,” Eliza admonished. 

Aaron mewed again, but it was drowned out by the sound of his rumbling tummy. Curse his stomach. Why did it always have to ruin moments?

“I’ll get him food!” Alex jumped up and sped out of the room. 

“Wait! You have to prep it differently!” Eliza wailed as she chased after him. 

Now the room was devoid of humans, Aaron weakly asked, “What happened?” 

Angel pet Aaron with her paw as Jem recalled the day’s earlier events. 

~

Alex snatched the comatose Aaron away from John. “What are you doing?!” he cried. 

“I’m just taking care of some vermin,” John stated matter-of-factly. 

“What?! No! You just strangled Orion!” Alex sputtered. 

“That thing has a name?!” John retorted, his lip curled up in contempt. 

“He’s not a thing! He’s a living being!” said Alex. 

“It’s just filthy scum. I can’t believe you’re such a low-life that you can bear to live with it.” John taunted. 

“I’m the low-life? I’m the low-life?!” Alex repeated, his voice rising with each word. “I’m not the one who insults my boyfriend all the time, and I’m not the one who abuses innocent creatures! That’s it! We’re done! I never want to see you again!” 

“Fine,” said John after a tense silence. “Good luck finding someone half as good as me.” He stood up and left, his aristocratic nose pointed high in the air. 

Alex stroked Aaron’s limp body and murmured, “I’m sorry,” over and over again. Eliza walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Alex, it’s not your fault,” she said. 

“It’s my fault for letting that toxic boy into my life,” he insisted. 

“You couldn’t have known he would do that. I think we were all shocked. But we’ll get him. I have video evidence of the incident, and Sally and Dolley are calling the humane society. I’m about to call the vet so we can take of this little guy, but I can’t really get him medical attention unless he has an official owner,” Eliza spoke. 

“I’ll adopt him!” Alex volunteered. 

The slightest hint of a smile graced Eliza’s face. “Very well. I’ll take care of the paperwork.” 

~

“Alex adopted me? He’s my human now?” Aaron asked. 

Angel turned to an item on the dresser and said, “Eliza took off your collar and wrote something down. I can only imagine she was writing in your owner’s email address.” 

Aaron breathed in relief. His plan of provoking John to violence had worked. He was sore all over, but he would heal. He drifted off into a dreamless slumber – his dream had already come true. 

~One month later~

Aaron pounced from sofa to table in the common room, thrilled that his paw had finally healed. Jem was following his movements playfully, and Tomcat and Angel, who finally made their relationship official, were sitting on a chair, watching the others with expressions of cool superiority. Aaron then hopped onto Theo and began kneading her lap. Theo giggled and hugged the cat. 

Eliza then walked by the common room, holding … wait, what was that in her palm? 

“Eliza! Is that a kitten?” asked Theo. 

“Yeah, I found this adorable little kitten outside the door!” she answered happily. 

Theo facepalmed. “Eliza, you can’t just take in every stray cat you see!” she scolded. 

“But it was raining outside and he’s so little!” Eliza whined. “Just look at him!” she held the tortoiseshell tabby kitten out to Theo. 

Theo’s heart softened at the sight. “Oh, he’s so cute. Does he have a name?” 

“What do you think?” she asked. 

Theo pet the tiny creature and said, “He looks so regal. How about … Philip?” 

“Philip it is!” Eliza declared. She took the kitten to her room. 

Aaron went back to the other cats. “Cats, is Eliza doing what I think she is?” he asked with a grin. 

“I think she just found Theo a cat,” Tomcat muttered. 

“Agreed,” said Jem. 

Just then, a magnetic force as powerful as a hurricane approached the common room. Aaron ran up to his human, Alex, who had just returned from classes, and leapt into his arms. Alex held him close as he nuzzled the human’s chest. He would never tire of this. 

“It’s Thursday, Orion! We’ll be up late, working on another P-set!” Alex announced. Aaron shut his eyes tightly in mock dismay. Some things never changed. 

Ever since Alex broke up with John (who had since been hit by a host of animal cruelty charges), he had become exponentially more magnetic. Tomcat and Jem had somehow reversed their opinions of him. Heck, even humans were clinging to him. But Aaron knew that some part of this man’s heart belonged to him and him alone. 

Alex set Aaron down and retreated to his room, leaving the door ajar so his cat could return whenever he wanted to. This time, like most times, this meant that Aaron followed him back, waited outside the door for a minute, and gradually shuffled into the room, before nestling himself on Alex’s coat or Alex’s backpack or really anything that carried that distinctive aroma of paper and chalk. 

Today, Alex was typing up a paper when he abruptly turned towards Aaron. “Orion, whenever I come back to my room, you always play hard to get, but you really love me, don’t you?” 

Alex had read him perfectly. Darn. Aaron looked at him blankly, pretending he didn’t know what he was talking about. 

“I love you too!” Alex continued before returning to his work. 

Aaron purred at those words, a balm to his heart. A long time ago, he followed this man, and this man – his man – led him home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who followed my story! It's such a honor to have so many readers! 
> 
> I have an idea for my next story (something pleasant and lighthearted). It should be coming out in a few months - I'm quite busy for a while.

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve always wondered what happens in the life of a cat. 
> 
> This is my first attempt at a multichapter story! I’d love to hear what you think about it!


End file.
